Metro Manila, Philippines – As the prices of oil continue to rise due to the conflict between Israel, United States, and Iran, social media users brought up the free lifetime gas offered by Phoenix Petroleum to Hidilyn Diaz following her historic win in the Tokyo Olympics back in 2021.
Diaz captured the country’s first Olympic gold after ruling the women’s 55kg category in weightlifting.
Different brands committed huge cash bonuses and incentives to Diaz after her golden run, and the lifetime supply of fuel might be the most important thing among her prizes as pointed out by the netizens right now.
Noel Ferrer, Diaz’s manager, clarified that Hidilyn received the fuel prize for only two years after her victory.
“Hidilyn told me that she received fuel support for the first two years after her win. Thanks, but to be accurate, it wasn’t for a lifetime. I’m not sure whose lifetime the people had in mind,” he said in a statement posted on his Instagram account on Thursday, March 12.
Ferrer lamented the unfulfilled promise.
“Sadly, this is also symptomatic of how we regard athletes who are no longer in the limelight even when they continue to contribute to sports and to the country,” he said
Phoenix Petroleum has yet to issue a statement.
